Past Classes
Past class offerings—we may offer these again in the future, and we provide the listings here in case you want to read any of these books on your own.PAST CLASSES
Lent 2024
By the same author as our Advent study, Tsh Oxenreider invites us to contemplate using music, devotions, and artwork as we explore the bitter and the sweet of the life of Jesus Christ.
Unveiling Mary Magdalene
Discover the Gospel truth about the most myth-understood woman of the New Testament. Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute? An adulteress? The wife of Jesus? An ancient goddess? Liz Curtis Higgs combines heartfelt contemporary fiction with extensive biblical research to bring to life the real Mary Magdalene of the Bible. With her own eyes, she saw him. With her own ears, she heard him. With her own hands, she touched him.
Faith Unraveled
Eighty years after the Scopes Monkey Trial made a spectacle of Christian fundamentalism and brought national attention to her hometown, Rachel Held Evans faced a trial of her own when she began to have doubts about her faith. She realized In order for her faith to survive it must adapt and evolve. Using as an illustration her own spiritual journey from certainty to doubt to faith, Evans challenges us to trust in a God who is big enough to handle our tough questions.
Isn’t it True?
Living as a Christian invites us to share our faith with others – but it’s usually with other Christians. For most of us, we are not comfortable sharing our faith with those who have no belief or are members of another religion. We lack confidence wondering, “What if they ask me something I can’t answer?” Lea Burt will raise some objections to Christianity in order that we will become better prepared to provide faithful answers. Led by Lea Burt, hosted by Rev. Linda Zastovnik.
Light in the Longest Night
A casual and comfortable online gathering where readings & prayer will surround the sharing of stories of the Advent/Christmas season. Details will be provided following registration. The first day of winter, we experience fewer hours of daylight than on any other day of the year. The sun is at the lowest point in the sky. Join us as we share the light of Christ during this “longest night.”
Shadow & Light: A Journey into Advent
Though the holidays are often jam-packed with busyness, the weeks leading up to Christmas are a time to reflect on the miracle of Jesus’s birth. Shadow and Light is a guide for the Advent season to help you rediscover your childlike wonder and contemplate the sacred gift we celebrate in the Christmas season. Tsh Oxenreider invites you to explore the historical(delete) meaning of Advent. We will discover fresh insights for new and longtime believers alike. Each day includes Scripture, a reflection, a question, and a simple activity to engage the senses, such as lighting candles.
“Do good. Keep punching holes in the darkness, evidently that is how the Light of the world sneaks in among us all.”
Robert Benson
Praying with Robert Benson
(6 weeks)
Taught by Robert Benson, hosted by Pastor Linda, we will learn about and practice prayer as we pray with one who lives this holy mystery. The Bible encourages us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). How do we do this? One step at a time.
Writer of over 20 books, Robert Benson is offering to teach us over 6 weeks what he has taught leading weekend retreats for over 30 years. His book, Venite, will guide us. If you would like a free copy, just ask.
The Body Broken
The Bible refers to the Church as the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-14). Robert Benson writes about the Church and recounts his own journey from Nazarene to Methodist to Episcopalian. He introduces us to the people and the differing expressions of faith he encountered along the way. He writes of the intolerance and divisiveness that have become an all too familiar part of the Church and a gentle, poignant call for a Christian community that embraces a spirit of love and unity even as it honors our differences. This book was one we read over the Summer; it is so relevant and helpful it is being offered again. We will be encouraged as we meet one time to discuss the book and our own experiences with the Church.
The Communion of Saints
“I believe in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sin, and the life everlasting.” This is a statement from the historic Apostles’ Creed which is recited in many worship services. The communion of saints, in the biblical sense, refers to all who have been baptized – living and dead. On November 1, All Saints Day (also called The Day of the Dead in some cultures), we will gather online to learn more about what we believe about the communion of saints and to remember and name those we love who have died. No preparation is required.
Inspired
What do people mean when they say the Bible is inspired? Drawing on the best in recent scholarship and using her well-honed literary expertise, Rachel Held Evans examines some of our favorite Bible stories and retelling them as only RHE can. Undaunted by the Bible’s most difficult passages, Evans discovers the Bible is not a static work but is a living, breathing, captivating, and confounding book that is able to equip us to join God’s loving and redemptive work in the world.
Preparing for Easter: A Different Approach
Taught by Lea Burt; Hosted by Linda Zastovnik
4 Weeks
No Preparation Required – Explore the Mystery
Who does not like a good mystery! What happened to the city of Atlantis? Why was Stonehenge built? How did the Egyptians build the Pyramids? As we consider these mysteries, they invite us to go back in time and think about people of the past, why they behaved the way they did, what motivated them, what did they understand, and what were they thinking? As 2023 brings us to yet another Easter season, join us as we learn about the mystery of the Shroud of Turin. The Shroud of Turin is a piece of cloth with an image on it. Is it Jesus?
We don’t need this church relic to provide proof of Jesus – the Gospels are sufficient on their own. What it does is provide is a topic of conversation that quickly turns into an understanding of the Passion of Jesus Christ. It is a tool that takes us into the message of the Gospel. This mystery has been around for 2,000 years, is full of intrigue, murder, destruction, lies, and truths. In the last few years, there have been some twists and turns. Is the Shroud of Turin the burial cloth of Jesus? Or not?
Deep Dive: The Letters of 1 John, 2 John, 3 John
The three letters of John form a single message. They may be very short letters, but they pack a powerful message regarding our capacity to love. The disciple/apostle John writes, “This is the message we have heard from Jesus” (1 John 1:5). John was taught directly from Jesus of Nazareth! And, in turn, he teaches us. He is writing to a church in turmoil. His message is more relevant today than ever. Join us as we take a deep dive into the living word.
Wakening in the Word
Come as you are and when you can.
Through this personal and interactive study, you will become more biblically literate, theologically confident, and spiritually aware as we dig into the Bible, one chapter at a time. You don’t have to know anything about the Bible to learn from the Bible. Come and see. Bring your coffee/tea, Bible and a candle.
By the way, we are all beginners when it comes to Bible study. If you are unfamiliar and interested, simply reach out. Pastor Linda will meet one on one with you to get you comfortable with the Bible. It’s a journey you’ll never regret beginning. If you need a Bible, just ask.
Need a Bible? Request a free one.
The Gospel of John
Bring your Bible as we dive deep into the Gospel of John. We will read and discuss 2-3 chapters each week and then watch the story come alive through a clip from the word-for-word dramatization based on the New International Version of the Bible. Whether you’ve never studied the Bible before or you are a master of the text, you will engage with this gospel in a new way. Join us as we walk with Jesus through his life, ministry, death and resurrection.
Need a Bible? Request a free one.
A Complicated Choice
A Complicated Choice goes beyond the terms “pro-life” and “pro-choice” that define the public abortion debate and centers on the real people making the decision to end a pregnancy. Within the life of the church, these stories are silenced and women feel ashamed. Rev. Katey Zeh invites us to examine our judgments about people who have abortions through the act of sacred listening to the real stories of those most impacted.
The Forgiveness of Jesus
We all carry guilt and shame – it drags us down and keeps us from enjoying life to the fullest. This class will offer a deeper understanding of the reason Jesus Christ gave his life on the cross. Jesus came to forgive us, allowing us to move from guilt and shame to freedom and forgiveness. As we examine the people he met and set free, you will be transformed by your encounter with the God who loves you so much that he runs to you.
Summer Reading 2022
JUNE
Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
Most of us believe in God’s grace – in theory. But somehow we can’t seem to apply it in our daily lives. We beat ourselves up over our failures and, in the process, pull away from God because we subconsciously believe God tallies our defects and is disappointed. Brennan Manning reminds us that nothing could be further from the truth. The Father beckons us with a “furious love” that burns brightly and constantly. Only when we truly embrace God’s grace can we bask in the joy of a gospel that enfolds the “ragamuffins.”
Brennan Manning’s now-classic meditation on grace and what it takes to access it—simple honesty—has changed thousands of lives. Now with a Ragamuffin’s thirty-day spiritual journey guide, it will change yours, too.
paperback
JULY
The Boy Who Cried Abba by Brennan Manning
Jesus told parables to communicate God’s love. Brennan Manning creates Willie Juan, a young orphan and social outcast, who learns the lessons of forgiveness, self-acceptance, and happiness, as he realizes the unconditional love of God.
During July, we will be following the thirty-day spiritual journey guide from Ragamuffin Gospel) and reading this parable.
hardcover
Summer Light: Hearing God
“God spoke to me.” “The Spirit spoke to my heart.” “God revealed the idea to me.” Being close to God means communicating with him — telling God what is on our hearts in prayer and hearing and understanding what God is saying to us. It is this second half of our conversation with God that is so important but that can also be so difficult. How do we hear God’s voice? How can we be sure that what we think we hear is not our own subconscious? What role does the Bible play?
Searching for Sunday
Like millions of her millennial peers, Rachel Held Evans didn’t want to go to church anymore. The hypocrisy, the politics, the gargantuan building budgets, the scandals–church culture seemed so far removed from Jesus. Yet, despite her cynicism and misgivings, something kept drawing her back to Church. And so she set out on a journey to understand Church and to find her place in it.
Centered around seven sacraments, Evans’ quest takes readers through a liturgical year with stories about baptism, communion, confirmation, confession, marriage, vocation, and death that are funny, heartbreaking, and sharply honest. A memoir about making do and taking risks, about the messiness of community and the power of grace, Searching for Sunday is about overcoming cynicism to find hope and, somewhere in between, Church.
Christ in the Passover
This year, Passover begins on Good Friday—nothing could be more meaningful! Wonder why? This 2 hour event will help you understand the connections between the Old Testament and the New Testament, between the Jewish and Christian faiths. The Passover is the Old Testament feast that celebrates and remembers God’s liberation of Israel from Egypt. It also foreshadows Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Learn the history and significance of this sacred event. You will receive details to prepare your own simplified Seder meal for the event (optional).
The Last Days of Jesus
The Last Days of Jesus provides an overview of six major events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection. We will begin each session in Israel— showing key places, such as the Garden of Gethsemane, a rolling stone tomb, Mount of Olives, and more. Featuring beautiful retellings, solid overviews, and incredible cultural insights from top Bible scholars, this class will deepen your understanding of key Easter events.
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus
Nabeel Qureshi describes his dramatic journey from Islam to Christianity. Providing an intimate window into a loving Muslim home, Qureshi shares how he developed a passion for Islam before discovering, almost against his will, evidence that Jesus rose from the dead and claimed to be God. Unable to deny the arguments but not wanting to deny his family, Qureshi struggled with an inner turmoil that will challenge Christians, Muslims, and all those who are interested in the world’s greatest religions.
Engaging and thought-provoking, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus tells a powerful story of the clash between Islam and Christianity in one man’s heart–and of the peace he eventually found in Jesus.
Taught by Lea Burt, Led by Rev. Linda Zastovnik. Lea Burt is semi-retired from the air conditioning business where he was a design engineer for 40 years. Now he enjoys traveling with his wife, Robin. When not working on their horse farm, Lea enjoys fly fishing, golf, and road biking. Lea was raised in a Methodist family and has been active in the church ever since.
Galatians: Accepted and Free
Once you place faith in Jesus you are transformed. You are made new. You are forever part of the family of God. You are fully accepted, and you are free. Join Pastor Linda as we read this passionate letter that is now called the book of Galatians, led by Jada Edwards. The Study Guide is required. Bring a Bible (any version) to class.
- The Hidden Power of Acceptance
- Your Life is Rich in Purpose
- Approval in Christ > Human Approval
- The Truth About Your Inheritance
- You’ve Been Set Free For This
- Your Restoration Restores Others
Cold Case Christianity
Christianity, with all of its claims could easily be described as a “cold-case”; a case for which insufficient hard evidence exists to make any sound conclusions about its truth claims. However, in Cold-Case Christianity, J. Warner Wallace uses his nationally acclaimed skills as a homicide detective to look at the evidence and eyewitnesses behind Christian beliefs. He includes gripping stories from his career and the visual and interrogation techniques he developed while a police officer. Along the way, he uses analogy and anecdotes to examine the powerful evidence that validates the claims of Christianity.
Cold Case Christianity speaks to readers’ intense interest in detective stories, and inspires readers to have confidence in Christ as it prepares them to articulate the case for Christianity. Study the evidence. Test the witnesses. Defend the truth. During these 8-sessions, Wallace examines the authors of the Gospels and asks four critical questions used by detectives.
- Were they present?
- Were they corroborated?
- Were they accurate?
- Were they biased?
Lea Burt
Lea Burt will teach each session while Linda Zastovnik leads our class discussions. The book is required, the study guide is optional.
Holy Land Study: Along the Road with Jesus
The Story
God goes to great lengths to rescue lost and hurting people. That is what The Story is all about: the story of the Bible, God’s great love affair with humanity. This study helps us to understand how the Upper Story (God) intersects with the Lower Story (Us).
Praying for Afghanistan
As the anniversary of 9/11 approaches we reflect on our world, on the serious life changes for the people of Afghanistan, and for the future of the thousands of refugees who have fled their homeland. We are mindful of the extreme emotions of our own troops who have served. Our country is so fragile due to polarizing opinions, views, facts and lies.
Come and sit with us; bring your worries and your fears. Lea Burt will share a bit of what he has learned about the differences between Islam, the Taliban and ISIS-K. He will also address your questions (submitted in advance) and we will close with a short prayer service.
Murals on the walls at the US embassy on July 30, 2021 in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Summer Reading 2021
So many books, so little time! For all (meaning all genders, all ages), this summer you will love each of these three books. We will meet on the last Tuesday of each month to discuss. Sign up for one, two, or all three. Include your spouse and/or friend.
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. Discussion led by Carey Bullock. Tragedy strikes Frank’s family—which includes his Methodist minister father, his mother, older sister and kid brother—he finds himself thrust into an adult world full of secrets, lies, adultery, and betrayal. Forty years later, he discovers the terrible price of wisdom and the enduring grace of God.
Wearing God by Lauren F. Winner. Discussion led by Rev. Kake Nations. Lauren Winner, an Episcopal priest who teaches at Duke Divinity School, notes there are hundreds of metaphors for God, but the church only uses a few familiar images: creator, judge, savior, father. Let’s explore some others: God as clothing (“clothed with Christ”), as the vine/vintner who animates life; the lactation consultant; and the comedian. Oh, I love God as the comedian!
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. Discussion led by Janice Mack. Eleven-year-old Reuben Land, an asthmatic boy in the Midwest has reason to believe in miracles. Along with his sister and father, Reuben finds himself on a cross-country search for his outlaw older brother who has been charged with murder. Family, love, and faith can stand up to the most terrifying of enemies, and the most tragic of fates.
Book Study: A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans
Rachel Held Evans died unexpectedly last year at the age of 37. Strong-willed and independent, she embarked on a radical life experiment–a year of biblical womanhood. Intrigued, she vowed to take all of the Bible’s instructions for women as literally as possible for a year. Pursuing a different virtue each month, we will delve into the scriptures alongside her book. With just the right mixture of humor and insight, compassion and incredulity, A Year of Biblical Womanhood is an exercise in scriptural exploration and spiritual contemplation. Join us in the lessons of her life.
In the Holy Land
with Ray Vander Laan
Wakening Women
June-August
Wakening Women returns this summer with more stories of biblical women—some we’ve met before, some will be new—and connecting them to contemporary global gender issues. In doing so, Rev. Katey Zeh speaks truth to women’s oppression and erasure while reminding us of the sacredness of women’s experience, wisdom, solidarity, and sisterhood.
Book Study: The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi
Connect deeper with the Bible and your faith as Kathie Lee Gifford journeys with Messianic Rabbi Jason Sobel through Israel, studying the Bible in its Hebrew context.
The Rock (Jesus Christ): Hear directly from Kathie about her life-changing and ever-deepening connection with Jesus, the Lover of her soul.
The Road (Israel): Explore dozens of ancient landmarks and historical sites from Israel, the promised land of God’s covenant.
The Rabbi (God’s Word): Go beyond a Sunday-school approach to the Bible by digging into the original languages and deeper meanings of the Holy Scriptures. Jason’s insight into the Hebrew language, culture, and heritage will open your eyes to the Bible like never before.
Bible Study: In the Beginning
You may think you know these stories. Or, you may have begun to read the Bible, but couldn’t get through Leviticus (I know!). From Genesis to Deuteronomy, we will get the big picture of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible and learn its foundational message. In addition to the scriptures and the stories we will learn more about The Torah and its significance to Jews – during the time of Jesus and today. Our class time will include viewing videos produced by The Bible Project. If you join in to Zoom by audio only, you can view the videos on your own.
No book is needed but your Bible (any version). If you do not yet have one, let me know. Invite others!
Bible Study: Revelation
There have been quite a few jokes about 2020 being a year that everything has gone wrong: a global pandemic, fires, hurricanes, and riots. What does the Bible say about such things? Where is God in the midst of it all? What is the truth about the “End Times?”
Book Discussion: Clutter Free by Kathi Lipp
Peace within us can be impeded by clutter around us. Learn new habits to help clear out your clutter, simplify your space, and take back your life. Do you spend valuable time moving your piles around the house, but you can never find that piece of paper when you need it? As you try out the many easy, doable solutions within the book, you’ll begin to understand why you hold on to the things you do, eliminate what’s crowding out real life, and make room for the life of true abundance God wants for you.
Prayer & Discernment
Learn more about prayer by practicing prayer. For 7 weeks, we will learn about prayer through the book, The Quest, by Beth Moore. Is there a question you have for God? Is there a decision or a concern where you are seeking direction?
People of Peace
Meet 6 people who have made a difference by choosing peace: Jesus Christ, Mother Teresa, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Mahatma Gandhi, Elisabeth Elliot & Rachel Saint. You will receive a handout each week prior to the class.
Abundant Peace — Jesus Christ
Calming Peace — Mother Teresa
Worldly Peace — Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Living Peace — Mahatma Gandhi
Forgiving Peace — Elisabeth Elliot & Rachel Saint
Seeking Peace One Day
Do you know that International Peace Day is September 21? If not, it’s because you have never heard the story behind it. Once you do, you will never forget it. You will be sent the link to view the documentary online.
Join us online as we pray for peace on Peace Day. We will join the “Global Peace Wave” with a Minute of Silence at noon.
Christianity and World Religions
Adam Hamilton, explores four major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Judaism—and compares the beliefs of each with those of Christianity. As Christians, we must build bridges with others so that we might grow in our faith and seek peace in our world.
Matthew Bible Study
Dig into the very first book in the New Testament.. We will read 2-3 chapters each week and view a short clip from the Visual Bible: Matthew. In this dramatization, the complete Gospel is presented word-for-word based on the New International Version of the Bible. Whether you’ve never studied the Bible before or you are a master of the text, you will engage with this gospel in a new way. Join us as we walk with Jesus through his life, ministry, death and resurrection.
The New Testament You Never Knew
N.T. Wright will lead us in discovering things we never knew about the stories within the New Testament. Through reading the New Testament we continually discover that God indeed keeps his promises, but those
promises don’t always look like what people expected. Especially when it comes to Jesus. Sessions include: The Books of the New Testament; The World of Jesus and the Apostles; The Life and Death of Jesus; The Resurrection of Jesus; The Ministry of the Apostle Paul; The Early Christians and the Church; The Mission of the Church; The Creation of the New Testament.
Beginning in the Bible
White Fragility
White fragility is defined as the discomfort and defensiveness on the part of a white person when confronted by information about racial inequality and injustice. In this in-depth exploration, Robin DiAngelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively.
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